Automobile sander



Nov. 8; 1927. 1,648 623 E. F. ROBINSON AUTOMOBILE SANDER Filed April v; 1927 INVENTOR WITNESSES Edward fiZfofia'rz wa W 2 BY 972M960 J4; W/JZL 14 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

UNITED STATES teale623 EDWARD I. ROBINSON, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK.

AUTOMOBILE saunas.

Application filed April 7, 1927.

The present invention is concerned with the provision of a sander adapted to be associated with an automotive vehicle and se lectively manually controlled by the driver of the vehicle to discharge sand immediately in the path of the driving wheels, for the purpose of preventing or checking skidding upon icy or slippery streets.

The device of the present application. is primarily intended. as an improvement over the sander disclosed in my Patent No. 1,622,165, dated March. 22, 1.927.

In this previous patent the sand hoppers were mounted directly upon the tops or" the running boards of the car, preferably near the rear ends of the running boards, and sand was discharged through valve controlled pipes penetrating the running hoards.

In accordance with the present invention the construction is radically improved in tl'i'at the use of conspicuous and unsightly sandhoppers on the running board is eliminated, the hoppers being mounted under the boards and leaving the entire upper surface 01'' the boards clear. Furthermore, the problem of filling the hoppers has been greatly simplified in that the filling openings are provided in the running boards.

More general objects of the invention are to provide an appa-ratus which will be inconspicuous and almost entirely concealed in: use, an apparatus oi simple, practical, rugged and durable construction which may be readily applied to a standard automobile or conveniently built into a new car, and an apparatus which is well suited to the requirei'uents oil economical nnunitarture and e llici e] it op ci "a ti o n.

li ith the above noted and other objects in view, the invention consists olf certain novel-teatures ol? construction and arrangement oil. parts, as will be more "fully hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims. The invention may be more fully understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an automobile showing my improved sander in applied position;

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sec tional view through the running board, sand hopper and associated parts;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken approximately on the line 3-4 of Figure 2; and

Serial No. 181,789.

Figure at is a transverse sectional view through a modified form of hopper showing the hopper integral with the running hoard.

In the drawings l have used the reference numeral to designate generally an automobile equipped with the usual running boards 1i at each side. The apparatus of the present invention includes relatively shallow elongated sand hoppers 12, having inclined bottoms 123. A sand hopper is mounted under each running board. Preterably the top 14 oi the hopper lies directly against the under face of the running board 11, and the hopper top carries an upwardly projecting external threaded sleeve portion 15 accommodated in an opening 16 in the running board and secured by a nut 17 screwed down against the face of the linoleum or equivalent material 18 with which the boards are usually covered. The pipe 15 provides a filling opening for the hopper and is preferably closed by a cap 19 screwed on to the nut 17. Thus the hoppers may be conveniently lilled through the running boards by simply removing the cap 19.

Preferably a sleeve 15 at its lower or near end is :lormed with a relatively spacious flange or plate portion 20 underlying the hopper cover 14; and riveted or otherwise secured thereto, as at 21.. By virtue of this construction a substantial portion of the hopper cover is firmly clamped against the iuuler face oi the running board and there will be no tendency of the hopper to rattle against the board while the air is in motion.

The hopper bottom at its rear end is pro vided with a discharge s iiout- 22 externally lhri-raded tor the reception of a sleeve 23 carrying or integral with a channelled guide plate 24* in which a slide valve 25 is mounted. Opening movement of the valve is opposed by a coiled coi'itract-iona-l spring 26 and a flexible valve operating device, such, for instance, as the wire 27, is controlled by any convenient or conventional means (not shown) mounted adjacent the drivers seat or on, the instrument board of the car.

The discharge spout 22 being arranged im mediately adjacent the rear wheel of the car will deliver sand under the rear wheel whenever the valve 25 is opened. Upon incipient skidding of the car or when traversing an icy stretch of road, the driver opens the valve 25 to any desired extent.

In many conventional devices of automobiles the running board flanges 11 are rather Wide and the greater portion of the sand hopper will be concealed from view by the flanges. There is no danger of damage to the sand hoppers against projections in the road since the slide valve 25 in most instances will be spaced from the roadbed a distance at least equal to the height of the crankcase and differential.

The sloping bottom of the sand hopper is arranged at an angle which under ordinary conditions would prohibit the free gravitational flow of sand towards the discharge spout. Such flow is caused, however, by the vibration imparted'to the hopper by the movement of the automobile when the latter is in motion.

In Figure i- I have illustrz'tted a. modified form of the invention in which the hopper 80 is of general sectoral shape in cross-section instead of rectangular shape. Here the hopper is'formed as an integral partof the running board 32. Such a construction is primarily designed for use on new cars where the sand hopper and running board may be formed from a single metallic stamping. Vfith this form of the invention a filling opening and cap will be provided in the running board, and the discharge spout and its controlling valve will be substantially the same as those described above in connection with showing of Figures 1 to 3 inclusive.

Nhen it is necessary to traverse a muddy road in a car and there is a possibility of becoming stalled in the mud, the sand hopper might be used to contain sawdust or other equivalent material which would be of assistance in providing a comparatively dry traction surface by which the car can escape from a mudhole.

Obviously various changes and alterations might be mad-e in the general form and arrangement ofparts described without departing from the invention. Hence I do not wish to limit myself to the details set forth, but shall consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination an automobile including a running board, a sand hopper mounted thereunder, a valve controlling the dis charge of sand from the lower rear end of the hopper, said running board having a filling opening therein.

2. in combination an automobile including a running board, a sand hopper mounted tl'icreunder, a valve controlling the dis charge of sand from .the lower rear end of the hopper, said running board having a filling opening therein, the hopper top including a filling spout extending upwardly .through the filling opening, and a nut screwed on the spout retaining the hopper against the under face ofthe running board.

3. In combination an automobile including running board, a sand hopper mounted thereunder, a valve controlling the discharge of sand from the lower rear end of the hopper, said runnincr board having a filling opening therein, the hopper being of relatively shallow elongated shape including a bottom sloping toward its rear end.

i. In combination an automobile including a running board, a sand hopper mounted thereunder, a valve controlling the discharge of sand from the lower rear end of the hop per, said running board having a filling opening therein, and a depending discharge spout carried by the hopper bottom and carrying and guiding the valve.

ED? ARD P. ROBINSON. 

